How to Stop Procrastinating: 7 Tasks You Can Do Today

I’ll do it later. That’s what you keep saying for the umpteenth time as you glance at the stack of unpaid bills. It’s called procrastination, and it causes a whole lot of unnecessary stress and mental block that may prevent you from really relaxing.

Here’s how to stop procrastinating, get yourself over the hump, and start being productive. For starters, try and tackle some easy 10-minute tasks and you’re on your way to completing more than you ever imagined! Set a timer for 10 minutes and get as much done as you can in that amount of time. Crank up your favorite tunes or start a to-do list on a cute little notepad to get you motivated.

Choose one of the seven easy tasks below, keep your focus, and get going!

1. Tackle your junk drawer

If you can barely open your junk drawer, it’s time to dig in and put some order in place. First things first, what can be thrown in the trash? Expired coupons, gum wrappers, old notes, the list goes on.

Once you’re done throwing away items you don’t need, it’s time to move on to items that don’t belong in the junk drawer. Important documents and receipts need to be filed away so they don’t end up missing when you need them. Medication should be stored in a medicine cabinet, not your junk drawer. All tools should be moved to a toolbox, except maybe a handy all-in-one tool.

For everything that’s left, make piles of like items. For example, all writing utensils should be grouped together. You don’t need fancy organizing gadgets here, just box tops, metal lids, small bowls, or anything else that works for corralling small items. Give your grouped items a place, and congratulate yourself for organizing your junk drawer!

2. Sneak in some fitness

I’ve heard it again and again — you don’t have time to work out. I have good news: You don’t need an hour on the treadmill to see results. Fit in small chunks of fitness when you can to improve your health, wellbeing, and your waistline.

You don’t even need a gym membership to benefit from 10 minutes of fitness. YouTube has fat-burning and toning workouts geared toward those who are short on time. You can also crank up your favorite tunes and do jumping jacks, push-ups, and crunches for 10 minutes — no instruction needed!

3. Organize your jewelry

Even with the best of intentions, your jewelry can end up in a tangled clump. You don’t need an expensive jewelry box to keep your bling organized. A simple ice cube tray in a drawer can hold earrings and rings.

You can stack bracelets on a clean glass bottle, such as a Snapple® bottle. As for necklaces, hanging them is the best way to keep them untangled. Even a bulletin board with tacks will work!

4. Read a book

Between work and family, who has time to read? Snuggling up with a good book may seem like a luxury, but it’s totally possible to sneak some reading time into your busy schedule.

Reading can spark your creativity, and helps you to develop and grow intellectually. If you’re looking to fit in some reading time, breaking it up into 10-minute increments is a great place to start. Set a timer and find a quiet space to read. Choose a book with a realistic number of pages, around 100.

If you set your sights high, you may struggle to get through that 800 page book and lose momentum. Download a reader app on your mobile device to make it that much easier.

Not sure what titles to start with? Check out our 10 favorite modern female authors that will offer inspiration, laughs, and, above all, a great story you won’t want to put down.

5. Swap out your summer/winter wardrobe

After the first wave of cold or hot weather passes through, it’s time to swap out your summer wardrobe for your winter duds or vice versa. You don’t want to unpack a stinky, stained mess of clothes in the spring or fall, so taking a few minutes to sort is your best bet.

Start a pile for donating, since you’ll probably want a wardrobe refresh. Sort any clothes that haven’t been washed after the last wearing into another pile. Look for stains and pretreat before you wash. You’ll only want to store clean clothes to keep bugs away and to prevent bad odors. Lastly, pack everything up in a box, underbed storage, or even a pillowcase.

7. Sort a stack of bills

We’ve all got that dreaded pile of bills cluttering up some surface of our home. Get out your checkbook or login online and pay off your bills. It’s that easy! Don’t forget to file away any associated invoices and receipts right away.